2014 Boston Marathon registration has started, are you qualified?

BQ- Boston Qualifying. A BQ is a marathon time that would qualify you to run the Boston Marathon. For this year, you have to run a marathon after September 22, 2012 with the following times:

AGES MEN WOMEN

18-34 3hrs 05min 00sec 3hrs 35min 00sec

35-39 3hrs 10min 00sec 3hrs 40min 00sec

40-44 3hrs 15min 00sec 3hrs 45min 00sec

45-49 3hrs 25min 00sec 3hrs 55min 00sec

50-54 3hrs 30min 00sec 4hrs 00min 00sec

55-59 3hrs 40min 00sec 4hrs 10min 00sec

60-64 3hrs 55min 00sec 4hrs 25min 00sec

65-69 4hrs 10min 00sec 4hrs 40min 00sec

70-74 4hrs 25min 00sec 4hrs 55min 00sec

75-79 4hrs 40min 00sec 5hrs 10min 00sec

On Monday 9/9/2013 registration started for the 2014 Boston Marathon. However, only for those really fast runners who are 20 minutes faster than their age qualifying time. So, if you needed a 3:25 or better like me, you would need a 3:05 or better to register in the first half of this week. On Wednesday, September 11th at 10:00 a.m., qualifiers that are 10 minutes faster can register. On Friday, September 13th at 10:00 a.m. , qualifiers who are 5 minutes faster can register. Finally, on Monday September 16th at 10:00 a.m., those of us who have “only” qualified within 4 minutes and 59 seconds can register.

In case that is not clear, or you just like to make sure you understand when you can sign up, the BAA has created an online registration calculator that will tell you when you can register if you enter your time here:

Of course if the race fills up at any point in time, no further registrations will be taken. It is expected that many people will want to run this year. On the bright side for those in the “just” BQ group with me, the field size was expanded by 9,000 runners over last year to a total of 36,000 runners. However, 4,511 of the 5,624 non-finishers from last year took advantage of the guaranteed entry they were offered. This leaves about 4500 extra spaces over last year.

I will be waiting at the keyboard next Monday at 10:00 a.m. Wish me luck.

Good Luck Bill! My friend told me about the calculator and I was so thankful. I was able to register on Fri (instead of monday as I originally thought) because I turn 35 before the race day which puts me in the next age group – and I got in!